Thursday, September 22, 2011
MAP Testing
We just finished up MAP testing in the Language Arts classroom this week. I was wondering what people thought in regards to MAP testing. Some students did very well, and some students did not. It seems hard to counsel students on their reading score and make them feel good if they are really below the targeted mark. I could feel the pain of a few students who are ELL or are possible SPED and looking at their reading score. Other students ask about their reading score as well. For students just below the mark, it seemed like good motivation to tell them to keep reading because they were almost there. But the students that confessed to me that they always do really bad on these tests seemed to already be labeling themselves as not able to learn--and this is 7th grade. I understand the need for different assessments. I just wish there was more information that I felt good about telling really low students. I felt a bit lame telling them that not all of us are good test-takers, that they needed to not give up on reading, etc. These were just thoughts that I thought may generate some discussion, since I think there are others who have felt similarly.
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I agree that MAP testing can be tricky. Sometimes we get so focused on those numbers...I can see why kids get down on themselves. I think when discussing scores with students it is important to emphasize growth and progress. If they are low, then I want to motivate them to improve as much as they possibly can and make as big of a gain as they can. It not so much where they are at the beginning of the year, it's where they get to at the end. It might also help to talk to the student about reading as an important skill for life, we don't practice reading just so we can do well on MAP tests, but because it is something they will need to do for the rest of their life. Perhaps that could take a little pressure of students and help them see the big picture. Again, I agree that testing can be tough, and consistently low scores with students create low self-esteem that is hard to break.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Laura said. But I certainly understand the frustration of the MAP. Especially when it is directly followed with Aimsweb testing. I try to emphasize moving up even one or two points from where they were last year. Some of my students dropped dramatically over the summer. When this happened, I just asked them how much they had read over the summer. If the answer was not every day, I told them that the setback was alright then. We read every day in school so a three month break will affect their initial score, but does not have to affect their total yearly progress. What frustrates me most about all of these tests is that they are just snapshots. I have students who tested ranged widely from their spring MAP score to their fall one. I'm hoping that the Aimsweb will help give me some sort of consistency. I just wish I knew which score was most accurate so I could give my students more appropriate readings.
ReplyDeleteAs a special education teacher, I do a lot of MAP testing...A LOT. I had a student come in to take the test with me and I told him we were going to be using the computer today. His eyes filled with joy and excitement, "YaY!" he exclaimed! His anticipation was quickly squashed and tears replaced the joy and excitement in his eyes upon viewing the computer with his name signed into the MAP testing window. Yeah, most students in special education hate the MAP tests. They are long, frustrating, and mix up our daily routines that we so greatly depend on. It’s hard to pull students and force them to take them. I am always sure to reward them generously when they get through them! Life is tough, and sometimes we have to do things we don’t like. Lesson learned.
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